Automatic coupler for model railroad car

Abstract

In an automatic coupler for a model railroad car, a coupler body includes a knuckle coupler member formed of a coupler trunk having a knuckle portion and an engagement portion, and a receiving coupler member formed of a coupler trunk having a receiving portion and an engagement portion. A holder includes a lower holder member having a holder plate, a holder shaft projecting from the holder plate and adapted to engage with the engagement portions, and a spring portion adapted to surround the engagement portions. The holder plate, holder shaft, and the spring portion are integrally formed, and an upper holder member is adapted to be fixed to the lower holder member with the coupler body interposed between. The coupler body and the holder have a guide mechanism that allows the coupler body to follow a curve when the car travels on the curve.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automatic coupler for a model railroad car, comprising a coupler body and a holder for holding the coupler body in a manner allowing the coupler body to swing from side to side, said coupler body including a knuckle portion and a receiving portion provided at a distal end of a coupler trunk, said knuckle portion being a hook-like shape open at one side, when viewed from above, said receiving portion being a thumb-like shape facing the open side of the knuckle portion and adapted to shift between an engagement position in which the receiving portion is a minimum distance away from the open side of the knuckle portion and a release position in which the receiving portion is a maximum distance away from the open side of the knuckle portion, said holder being adapted to be fixed to an end of a model railroad car, wherein
 said coupler body is composed of a knuckle coupler member and a receiving coupler member, 
 said knuckle coupler member is formed of a trunk provided with said knuckle portion at a distal end and an engagement portion of an approximate U-shape, when viewed from above, at a proximal end, 
 said receiving coupler member is formed of a trunk provided with said receiving portion at a distal end and an engagement portion of an approximate U-shape, when viewed from above, at a proximal end, 
 said knuckle coupler member and said receiving coupler member are combined in a manner allowing relative turning motion between them, thereby allowing said receiving portion to shift between said engagement position and said release position, 
 said holder is composed of a lower holder member and an upper holder member, 
 said lower holder member includes a holder plate, a holder shaft and a spring portion integrally formed, said holder plate supporting said coupler body under a part of the coupler trunk nearer to the proximal end and an engagement portion of the coupler body composed of said engagement portions of the knuckle coupler member and the receiving coupler member, said shaft projecting from the holder plate and adapted to engage with said engagement portion of the coupler body in a manner allowing said coupler body to swing from side to side, said spring portion being adapted to surround said engagement portion of the coupler body engaged with the holder shaft and including end portions adapted to contact and push on the opposite sides of the coupler trunk, in a region nearer to the proximal end, thereby retaining the coupler body in a standard position, 
 said upper holder member is adapted to be fixed to the lower holder member with the coupler body interposed between, thereby covering a part of the coupler trunk nearer to the proximal end and the engagement portion of the coupler body, and 
 said coupler body and said holder have a guide mechanism for fitting the coupler body to the holder and allowing the coupler body to follow a curve when the car travels on the curve. 
 
     
     
       2. The automatic coupler according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said knuckle coupler member and said receiving coupler member are adapted to be stacked vertically to form the coupler body, where the trunks of the knuckle coupler member and the receiving coupler member form the upper and lower parts of the coupler trunk. 
 
     
     
       3. The automatic coupler according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said guide mechanism is composed of a guide pin provided on an upper or lower surface of the coupler trunk, in a part of the coupler trunk nearer to the proximal end, and a guide groove provided in the upper or lower holder member, the guide groove including two parts extending from a point nearer to the proximal end of the upper or lower holder member, diagonally to the opposite sides, toward the distal end of the upper or lower holder member, and thus having an approximate V-shape as a whole, wherein the guide groove is adapted to receive said guide pin in a manner preventing the coupler body from coming off the holder and allowing the guide pin to shift into such one of said two parts of the guide groove that corresponds to an inside of a curve when the car travels on the curve, thereby allowing the coupler body to be drawn forth from the holder to turn following the curve. 
 
     
     
       4. The automatic coupler according to  claim 2 , wherein
 said guide mechanism is composed of a guide pin provided on an upper or lower surface of the coupler trunk, in a part of the coupler trunk nearer to the proximal end, and a guide groove provided in the upper or lower holder member, the guide groove including two parts extending from a point nearer to the proximal end of the upper or lower holder member, diagonally to the opposite sides, toward the distal end of the upper or lower holder member, and thus having an approximate V-shape as a whole, wherein the guide groove is adapted to receive said guide pin in a manner preventing the coupler body from coming off the holder and allowing the guide pin to shift into such one of said two parts of the guide groove that corresponds to an inside of a curve when the car travels on the curve, thereby allowing the coupler body to be drawn forth from the holder to turn following the curve.